Monday's Daily Pulse

What you need to know about Florida today

| 8/25/2014

Citrus blight tightens grip on Florida growers

The Florida citrus industry has always stood strong - through freezes, hurricanes and rampant development. But now the $9 billion industry is facing its biggest threat yet, putting at risk the state's economy but also its very identity. Read more from the AP and TBO.com.

Gov. Rick Scott is calling for an investigation of Florida's standardized testing and the creation of an independent committee to review the state's contentious school standards. It's the second time in the past year that Scott has responded to criticism surrounding standards that are based primarily on Common Core. [Source: AP]

Retailers will have to switch things up to wow Gen Z crowd

Like other sociological groups such as Baby Boomers, Generation Xers and Millennials (aka Gen Yers), the Gen Z crowd is coming and they're going to change things. Retailers will have no choice but to respond to them. [Source: Florida Today]

Although more women have cracked video gaming's predominantly male work force, the business still has a gender gap, particularly with higher-paying engineering jobs. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

Drone wars: Realtors vs. feds

There was a time, not too long ago, when helium and helicopters still ruled the world of aerial real estate photography. Nowadays, Florida’s high-end realtors clamor for drone-produced marketing but risk running afoul of the FAA. [Source: Palm Beach Post]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Florida Polytechnic defies doubters, starts STEM mission[Times/Herald] Florida Poly defied its doubters by managing to open for business two years after its controversial creation by the state Legislature. Rising from a former cow pasture miles from downtown Lakeland, it is wowing visitors with its extraordinary architecture and ambitious vision.